46elks
46elks is a Swedish licensed telecom operator that provides a single REST API for developers to send and receive SMS, MMS, automated voice calls, and AI-bridged phone calls across 48 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersUppsala, Sweden
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What 46elks does
46elks AB is a privately held Swedish telecommunications operator founded in 2011 in Uppsala, operating a single REST API that gives software developers programmatic access to one-way SMS, two-way SMS, MMS, automated voice calls, dynamic call forwarding, programmable IVR, and virtual phone numbers in 48 countries. The platform supports SDKs in seven languages (Python, Java, PHP, Ruby, Node.js, Elixir, C#), uses Basic Auth over HTTPS at api.46elks.com, and exposes webhook callbacks for inbound events; a separate WebSocket endpoint (voip.46elks.com) provides Realtime Voice for streaming bidirectional audio into AI agents. The company is registered as a Swedish telecom operator under EU directive 2002/58/EG and Swedish law 2022:482 (LEK), with all data residency on Swedish servers.
Revenue is generated almost entirely through usage-based billing (per SMS, per MMS segment, per voice minute) with country- and encoding-dependent pricing, layered with monthly virtual-number rental fees across 48 jurisdictions and a new 2,000 SEK/month 'Conversations' subscription tier launched in 2024. Go-to-market is API-first self-service at 46elks.com (phone-verified signup), supplemented by inside-sales outreach to newly registered customers, developer-relations programming (Discord, Trainhack hackathons, workshops, Medium '46 Thoughts' blog), and direct enterprise support for larger implementations. The customer base spans SMB SaaS, broadcast media (e.g., Fremantle for Masked Singer/Idol voting), agtech (Hiveonline, Sensefarm), fintech (Flarie for Klarna), and nonprofits across the Nordics and broader Europe.
The organization remains small (~20 employees across Uppsala, Stockholm, and Hudiksvall) and founder-/management-owned with no disclosed external funding. Leadership has cycled twice since 2021 - Victoria Wagman succeeded founder Johannes Ridderstedt as CEO in September 2021, before Ridderstedt returned in 2023 and was subsequently replaced by current CEO Björn Isakson. The company has been recognized as a Dagens Industri Gazelle company in both 2022 and 2023.
46elks firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 46elks
- Legal name
- 46elks AB
- Website
- https://46elks.se
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- 46elks is a Swedish licensed telecom operator that provides a single REST API for developers to send and receive SMS, MMS, automated voice calls, and AI-bridged phone calls across 48 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
46elks industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cloud Communications API
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813), Services-Telephone Interconnect Systems (7385)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Numbering, DID, Porting & Carrier-of-Record Services (HDAIAHAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Conversational AI Platforms (chat/voice bots, orchestration) (HDAAAFAC), Contact Center Speech AI (agent assist, IVR automation) (HDAAAFAL)
Keywords
Where 46elks is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Uppsala
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
46elks business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- SMS/MMS API Usage: Pay-per-SMS and per-MMS sent or received through the API. Cost varies by destination country, message encoding (GSM vs UTF-16), and number of message parts. Delivery reports and other optional features may affect pricing.
- Virtual Phone Number Rental: Monthly rental fee for SMS and voice-capable phone numbers in 48 countries. Numbers are allocated through the API or dashboard.
- Conversations Service: Premium beta service at 2000 SEK per month for conversational question-and-answer workflows
- Voice Call Minutes: Charges for automated phone calls based on duration and destination
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Pay-per-use SMS and voice services |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
46elks product offering
Product offeringCore offering
46elks provides a unified REST API platform for programmatic access to two-way SMS, MMS, automated phone calls, programmable IVR, dynamic call forwarding, virtual phone numbers in 48 countries, and WebSocket-based realtime voice for AI integration. The service is built and operated by 46elks AB, a registered Swedish telecommunications operator, with all data stored on Swedish servers for EU data residency.
Product overview
46elks is a Swedish telecommunications operator offering a unified API platform for SMS, MMS, and voice services. The core offering consists of one-way SMS, two-way SMS, MMS, automated phone calls, dynamic call forwarding, programmable IVR, virtual numbers (available in 48 countries), and Realtime Voice (WebSocket-based audio streaming for AI integration). Additional services include short codes, sender ID protection, and extended/custom solutions. The platform also provides ready-made applications including Just Send! (SMS broadcasting) and Shared SMS Inbox. All services are accessible through a single REST API with the same technical support, targeting developers and businesses needing programmable communications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- One-Way SMS
- Two-Way SMS
- MMS (Bildmeddelanden)
- Automated Phone Calls
- Dynamic Call Forwarding
- Programmable IVR
- Virtual Phone Numbers
- Realtime Voice
- Conversations
- Just Send!
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 99% SMS read rate with fast delivery
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use 46elks
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
46elks technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
AI capability5 records
Feature8 records
46elks partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
46elks competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Plivo: Cloud communications platform offering SMS and voice APIs targeting developers and SMBs. Comparable API-first, usage-based pricing model and developer tooling.
- Twilio: Global CPaaS leader offering programmable SMS, voice, and video APIs. Directly comparable as the dominant developer-first telephony API provider; 46elks competes in the same SMS/telephony developer segment at much smaller scale.
- Sinch: Swedish-headquartered CPaaS provider with strong SMS, voice, and messaging API offerings and a large European enterprise footprint. Closest geography-matched direct competitor to 46elks in Nordic and European markets.
- Textmagic: SMS-focused cloud messaging platform for businesses and developers. Comparable SMB/mid-market SMS API offering with similar simplicity and pricing focus, although less voice-capable.
- LINK Mobility: Nordic-headquartered mobile messaging and communications platform operator. Direct competitor in the Nordic/European SMS and mobile messaging API market.
- MessageBird (Bird): Amsterdam-based omnichannel communications platform offering SMS, voice, and WhatsApp APIs. Direct peer in the European cloud-communications API segment with similar developer-first GTM.
Broad incumbents
- Bandwidth: US-based CPaaS provider operating its own carrier-grade network for voice and messaging APIs. Overlaps with 46elks on programmable telephony but with a much larger carrier footprint.
- Infobip: Global CPaaS incumbent with end-to-end messaging, voice, and customer engagement solutions. Comparable as a much larger alternative offering SMS and telephony APIs across many more geographies.
- Telia Company: Nordic incumbent telecom operator offering connectivity and enterprise communications services. Adjacent competitor — particularly relevant in Sweden — providing numbering and carrier services that 46elks ultimately relies on or competes against for enterprise voice.
- Vonage (Ericsson): Established CPaaS and unified communications provider (now part of Ericsson) with programmable SMS, voice, and video APIs. Overlaps with 46elks on telephony APIs but at far greater scale and enterprise breadth.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
46elks social profiles
Digital presence46elks financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
46elks leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
46elks funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
46elks M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 46elks
What does 46elks do?
46elks provides a unified REST API platform for programmatic access to two-way SMS, MMS, automated phone calls, programmable IVR, dynamic call forwarding, virtual phone numbers in 48 countries, and WebSocket-based realtime voice for AI integration. The service is built and operated by 46elks AB, a registered Swedish telecommunications operator, with all data stored on Swedish servers for EU data residency.
Is 46elks a public or private company?
46elks is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was 46elks founded?
46elks was founded in 2011.
Where is 46elks based?
46elks is headquartered in Uppsala, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does 46elks make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. SMS/MMS API Usage is the primary driver. The others are virtual Phone Number Rental, conversations Service and voice Call Minutes.
Who are 46elks's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Plivo, Twilio, Sinch, Textmagic, LINK Mobility and MessageBird (Bird). Broad incumbents are Bandwidth, Infobip, Telia Company and Vonage (Ericsson).
Does 46elks have an API?
Yes. 46elks provides a REST API for programmatic access to SMS, MMS, phone calls, and virtual phone numbers. The API base URL is https://api.46elks.com/a1/ with endpoints for SMS (/a1/sms), MMS (/a1/mms), calls (/a1/calls), virtual numbers (/a1/numbers), recordings, conversations, and account management. Authentication uses Basic Auth with API username and password. SDKs available for Python, Java, PHP, Ruby, Node.js, Elixir, and C#. Webhooks/callbacks supported for incoming messages, call actions, and delivery reports. Default throughput limit of 100 SMS per minute per account. Developer documentation is at 46elks.se/docs.
What industry is 46elks in?
46elks's product category is Cloud Communications API. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIAHAK, Numbering, DID, Porting & Carrier-of-Record Services, with a secondary code of HDAAAFAC, Conversational AI Platforms (chat/voice bots, orchestration). Its NAICS code is 518 and its SIC code is 4813.